Cedarville Magazine, Fall 2018

SERVING WITH EXCELLENCE MATT FILLER ’16 One thing that stands out from my time at Cedarville is an emphasis of serving with excellence. Cedarville pairs an excellent product with the proper purpose. In the classroom, I didn’t just hear that God wanted my best, but also why He wanted my best. It was for the purpose of bringing Him glory, wherever He might end up using me. These principles continue to guide me as I serve in missions. I am currently a “missionary intern” with Word of Life in Portugal. I’ve been involved with anything from project planning as we continue to update our property after a wildfire last fall, to helping coordinate a program that we use in public schools and the community that teaches team- building through games. Another part of my role is to prepare for and host outside groups who come to serve with our team during short- term missions trips. I also have the great opportunity to serve my local church by planning events for our young adult ministry. In a country with such a low percentage of Gospel believers, I’m excited to be a part of a ministry that partners with local churches to help reach young people with the truth of God’s Word! I am blessed to be involved with a lot of things, and my goal is to do it with excellence for God’s glory. It is amazing to see how God takes our humble efforts to serve Him with excellence and watch Him pour out His blessings. When I first arrived in Portugal, the team was going through a time of great transition, and it was difficult for both new and existing team members. But God — isn’t that a great phrase — has been so good to us and continues to bless our ministry. We have seen the fruit of God working in the hearts and lives of the people here. In early 2017, our team was only consistently involved in about four churches. Now, just a year and a half later, we’re in double that number of churches and we’re having an impact in more than 20. We had more than 100 additional young people attend our camps in 2017 compared to 2018. And we ran a team- building program in local schools that included about 1,500 students in the last year. These numbers aren’t just statistics; they represent individuals whom the Lord has brought into our realm of influence. We can only sit back and praise God for the doors He has opened for us to build relationships with the people in the churches and communities in Portugal. I will finish my internship next year, and Lord willing, I will become a full-time missionary. I am excited to see how God continues to bless and lead as I seek to serve Him with excellence. Michele (Cummings) Solomon ’91 is the Copy Editor for Cedarville University Marketing and Communications. Cedarville Magazine | 27